8 Facts About the Amazon That'll

Blow Your Mind

Like, did you know that the vast expanse of rainforest was named
after female warriors from Greek mythology?

By Daisy Hernandez
Sep 4, 2019
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The Amazon Rainforest is teeming with life—and helps sustain

our by producing thousands of the fruits we eat and use to
make other foods. It's home to a huge number of animals,
plants, insects, and even indigenous groups that have yet to be
introduced to the modern world.
The Amazon River is one of the longest in the world and also
hosts various wildlife who thrive in its freshwater. There is no
shortage of wonders birthed by the Amazon—here are just a
few.

Massive Territory

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The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest—it's so large that

you could take the entirety of the United Kingdom and Ireland
and fit them within the boundaries of the Amazon  17 times.

The Amazon is so large, in fact, that it spans several South

American countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Bolivia and
comprises 40 percent of Brazil's total area.

Abundant Source of Food

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The Amazon is one of the rainforests that makes up an

estimated 80 percent of the world's food supply—think fruits,
vegetables, nuts, and beans.

At least 3,000 fruits and veggies can be found in rainforests —

the Western world only uses around 200 of these.

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Home to Indigenous Groups
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The Amazon is home to an estimated 400-500 different groups

of indigenous people—an approximated 50 of these tribes have
never had contact with the outside world.

A Name With Historical Roots

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Spanish explorer, Francisco de Orellana, gave the Amazon its
name after surviving an attack by a group of native female
warriors known as the 'Icamiabas.'

Orellana was reminded of the fierce Amazons from Greek

mythology and thus named his discovery after the fabled
warriors.

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One of the World's Largest Rivers

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The famous Amazon River runs through the Amazon Rainforest

and spans the length of 3,977 miles via a winding path making
it the second longest river in the world after the Nile (4,132
miles).

Thick Vegetation
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The Amazon is so densely packed with vegetation that it could

take up to 10 minutes for rain the reach the ground
reports National Geographic. This thick vegetation also
means that the rainforest floor is in near constant darkness—
sunlight can't penetrate the canopy to reach the floor.

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Diverse Wildlife
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National Geographic notes that the Amazon is home to a

wildly diverse and rich ecosystem consisting of 40,000+ plant
species, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 kinds of fish, 430 mammals,
and 2.5 million different types of insects.

Global Regulator

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The Amazon is a global regular in that it work to stabilize
climate at local and global levels.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports that the rapid rate of

deforestation occurring in the Amazon could release billions of
metric tons of carbon that are currently being contained within
the rainforest by the lush vegetation.